This invention relates generally to printed circuit board conductors and connections and is more specifically directed to a dual mode breakaway edge connector arrangement for a printed circuit board.
Printed circuit boards typically include a plurality of foil conductors on either one or both surfaces thereof, some of which conductors extend to the edge of the board. A multi-contact connector is generally positioned upon an edge of the circuit board and in electrical contact with the various foil conductors for either providing an input signal to the circuit board or receiving an output signal therefrom. Sometimes it is desirable to couple various foil conductors in more than one circuit arrangement. For example, in one mode of operation two circuit board conductors may be directly coupled in circuit. In another mode of operation, it may be necessary to connect an accessory device between these two conductors. The accessory device may either provide an output signal representing the signal carried by these conductors from the circuit board, or it may process this signal and provide the thus processed signal back into the circuit board.
In order to provide this dual configuration and function capability, a "dummy" connector is typically connected to the circuit board foil conductors adjacent the edge of the circuit board. This connector includes a jumper for connecting the two conductors in the first mode of operation and is removed altogether from the circuit board in the second mode of operation to permit an accessory to be attached to the edge of the circuit board and the foil conductors thereon.
This arrangement has several drawbacks. For example, the electronic device is generally sold with the dummy connector even when the accessory involved is optional and may never be connected to the device's circuit board. This, of course, adds unnecessary complexity and cost to the device particularly in the case of modular systems which are inherently designed for the selective configuration of various accessories and may require a large number of dummy connectors. The trend toward modular systems, which has played an important role in the design and development of audio entertainment centers, is now gaining increasing acceptance in other electronic systems such as television receivers and computerized video display terminals. The modular approach permits the user to design the system to his or her unique requirements and application.
In addition to increasing the unit cost of the electronic device, these dummy connectors are also subject to corrosion particularly in hostile environments. Connector corrosion may not only result in a malfunction in and the failure of the electronic device, but may also render the installation of an optional accessory impossible and necessitate replacement of the circuit board. Moreover, this type of connector is highly susceptible to incorrect installation either at the time of manufacture by an assembler or when the system within which the device is used is reconfigured by a user. In either case, improper installation of the dummy connector may result in the failure of and damage to not only the device in which the connector is installed, but also to other electronic apparatus within the system.
The present invention is intended to overcome the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing a breakaway jumper edge connector for use in either mutually coupling a pair of foil conductors on a circuit board or for inserting additional circuitry therebetween by coupling the circuitry to the conductors along the edge of the printed circuit board. The present invention does away with the requirement for a dummy edge connector for a variably configured circuit board which may be easily coupled to or decoupled from additional circuitry as desired.